Intertwined
by Aya Diefair
Summary: Sometimes the universe creates ways for you to find your special forever someone. Occasionally, the universe can be cruel. - Series of 1-shots about Soulmates/Soulmarks. Ch1: Draco/Astoria - Starstruck. Ch2: Draco/Pansy - Elixir of Binding Souls. Ch3: Lucius/Narcissa - Not So Easy After All
1. Starstruck

**Word Count:** 520

* * *

Draco didn't expect anyone to be up in the Astronomy Tower at this late hour. Her presence hit him like the cold, winter chill that bit the air on clear nights like this; sudden, but refreshing. The soft silver light from the rising moon had her silhouette glowing like the depictions of angels he's seen in muggle paintings he found himself admiring in the Room of Hidden Things.

She peered up at the midnight-blue sky, quill in hand, a star map spread out over the table in front of her, and a telescope strategically placed and angled at a steep incline facing East. Not wanting to disturb her, Draco turned to leave only to stall when he noticed the dull glimmer of spots speckling across her bare left shoulder.

His hand touched his own left shoulder where a similar mark was splattered across his skin. It glowed in the moonlight, too, but not as vibrant as others he'd seen. Most of his friends' soulmarks were distinct and clear, like Theo's vines that shimmered green in sunlight, or Pansy's flower petals that sparkled in the shade.

It was difficult to figure out his own mark. Some said it looked like paint splatters, but his mother said it appeared to look more like stars given that it only dimly glowed when the moon was visible. Hers looked no different, and he wondered if she might have figured out what it was supposed to be.

He hadn't realized he was staring until she turned and met his gaze. She smiled at him and inclined her head enough to offer a silent invitation to join her and her exploration of space.

"You're—"

"Astoria," she said, looking to her map and pointing at a constellation on the chart. "And you're Draco."

He gave a nod to confirm. They knew each other only in passing, so this sudden encounter felt strange, almost intimate, but comforting at the same time.

Draco approached and tore his gaze from her to the star map in front of her. It was an impressive piece of work, never before had he seen such detail and precision in something intended to be so complex. She must have been working on it for years, and here she stood, enchanted ink and quill in hand, still mapping out the sky on an already immaculate chart.

"Couldn't sleep, either?" she asked, turning her attention back to the sky.

"No."

He looked back at her shoulder, having a better picture of his own mark to pick apart was convenient, and he shamelessly took advantage of it. Draco knew it was rude to stare and inspect ones mark, but he simply couldn't help himself.

"It's a constellation, I just know it is," she said suddenly, pulling his attention back to her. "I just haven't found it yet."

She looked at him again, seeming to know exactly what he was thinking. "Do you mind if I see yours? I might not have drawn mine out correctly."

Draco felt the color drain from his features. Revealing his soul mark meant exposing another one, and he simply couldn't allow that.


	2. Elixir of Binding Souls

**Competition/Challenge Block:****  
Written for/Stacked with:** Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Term 11); Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition (Season 7); Monthly Challenges for All (Year 2)**  
House/Team:** Ravenclaw (Hogwarts); Wigtown Wanderers (Quidditch League)  
**Role/Position**: Prefect (Hogwarts); Keeper (QL)  
**QL Prompt:** Under Pressure - Queen (Lyric: love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves)

**Term (Assignment):** Term 10 - Assignment 1  
**Subject (Task):** Muggle Music (Task 5: R&B: Write about a breakup.)  
**Other Hogwarts Challenges:** Romance Awareness Day 8: Potion/Spell to reveal soulmate (late)

**Bingo [Space Address] (Prompt): **Summer 1A (Blue)

**Shipping War: **Draco Malfoy/Pansy Parkinson  
**Word Count:** 1,309 words (per Google Docs)  
**Beta(s):** Bailey, Ciara

* * *

**Elixir of Binding Souls**

"Today I am going to teach you how to brew the Elixir of Binding Souls. It is a quite difficult concoction, but a very suitable one for my NEWT class, I believe," Professor Slughorn announced as he wrote on the blackboard.

Finishing the name of the potion, he underlined it and placed a hyphen below before turning to face the students before him. It didn't take much to pique their interest. The Soul Link potion had been a common topic of conversation among them the past year or so, but it definitely didn't interest Draco in the slightest, and he made sure to show it. The rare time he actually wanted to attend a class to keep his mind off everything and he got stuck with this nonsense of a potion.

"Now, what is this potion's other name?"

Hermione's hand went up in the air almost immediately, but Pansy nearly met her speed, surprising Draco, who stood right next to her. Professor Slughorn eyed Hermione before reluctantly turning to Pansy for the answer. Draco wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming at the surprising change of events.

"Yes, Miss Parkinson?"

"It's also called Anima Nexus."

Professor Slughorn nodded approvingly. "That is correct. Five points to Slytherin."

He turned to write the Latin name down, and Draco gave Pansy's arm a gentle nudge to get her attention. "Nice work."

"Thanks," she said, offering him a warm smile.

Draco almost recoiled from the cheerful reply and gesture, afraid she would get an unwanted idea from his small praise. It was the first time he had given her the time of day in over a week, though, so her gushing about it wasn't a surprise. It didn't make the potion any less rubbish, so if Pansy's acute attention to this lesson had her thinking that it would help her find that special someone, she was going to be utterly disappointed.

"Now," Professor Slughorn said, turning back to the class, "what does the Soul Link potion do?"

Pansy's hand shot up even faster this time, and Draco couldn't help but roll his eyes. Theo smirked in amusement at her enthusiasm, but Blaise at least appeared to share the same opinion as Draco. They hadn't seen Pansy so perky in this class since the first day when they were examining the Love Potion.

"Miss Parkinson?"

"It's an old potion brewed to help someone find their soulmate. Should the drinker appear to glow with a soft golden aura—temporarily, of course—then that means they are the brewer's destined soulmate."

Draco scoffed at the details, prompting Professor Slughorn to turn his attention to him. "Is there something you wish to add to Miss Parkinson's description, Mister Malfoy?"

He froze in the unexpected spotlight, glancing around the room quickly before settling on the professor. He couldn't have attention drawn to himself, especially with how attentive Potter had been lately. "Other than thst the concoction is complete rubbish, no."

"Ah, a common misconception of this brew, unfortunately. It is quite a finicky specimen, and is in the same family as—"

"Amortenia, Professor, sir," Pansy blurted, interrupting the portly man. "My apologies."

"Very good, Miss Parkinson. Twenty-five points to Slytherin. Now, it is often claimed that this potion is virtually ineffective, but it is quite rare to even find your soulmate even with the aid of a potion, so there has not been any definitive proof that such a complicated brew as the Soul Link potion does nothing…"

Draco tuned out the rest of the information and mulled over more important—and more dangerous—things that needed done. Finding his soulmate wouldn't change anything about his mission or even help relieve the pressure he was facing. In fact, it would probably make it all even worse, he couldn't afford to care about another person. The Soul Link potion was completely useless to him, as were most things in this class except the Polyjuice Potion. Perhaps he could use the Draught of Living Death in his plans as well. Putting someone in a death-like sleep is nearly killing someone, right?

He didn't even notice Pansy had curled her hand in his until she gave his arm a shake, causing him to meet her concerned hazel eyes.

"We need to get to our stations now."

He gave a nod and pulled his hand from hers, following her over to the table where the cauldrons were. Flipping open his book to the potion, he couldn't help but groan. "I can't believe he is making us brew this nonsense."

"Why? It isn't like it hurts anything, or anyone," Pansy half-whispered, immediately diving into the complexities of the Soul Link's many steps.

Draco was on auto-pilot for the entire process, not really thinking much about Pansy's sudden eagerness and excitement about the assignment. Theo and Blaise seemed to have picked up on it, however, and he occasionally saw them exchange a few whispers before stifling a laugh. They were behaving like how Pansy did when around her female posse, and Draco wasn't going to bother humoring them and their teasing right now. He was starting to feel sick from how preoccupied he was with more troubling situations he faced. It might have been easier to shoulder this weight if he had someone to share it with, but that wasn't a luxury he could afford.

Despite his wandering attention, his nerves were on edge for the entire class. It didn't help that he nearly jumped when Professor Slughorn bellowed out his praise to Pansy having a near-perfect brew (second only to Potter's, of course), promptly followed by a squeal from her. He quickly packed away the remaining ingredients and book so he could get away from this class as soon as they were dismissed. He didn't care to hear the feedback to his own less-than-stellar teal brew before him.

Pansy just so happened to tail him.

"Professor Slughorn allowed me to keep some of my potion, Draco," she said excitedly, showing him the vial.

He barely glanced at the baby blue translucent potion before proceeding down the corridor. "That's great."

Draco wasn't expecting Pansy to cut him off. He looked at her with a raised brow, more annoyed than curious about her motive for doing this. "What?"

"Look, I know you haven't been yourself lately, and I don't really know why," she started, and he mentally prepared for the onslaught that followed. "It hurts a little that you won't confide in me about what has been going on but… I mean… could you at least humor me this one time for a change? I promise I'll quit asking you for anything if you do. Just… Please?"

It struck him then that she was wanting him to drink that dumb potion she held in her hand, as if it was supposed to help her prove to him that he could trust her with everything at the drop of a hat—if it actually worked. He should have known from the beginning, and now he was trapped.

"What do you expect will change if I do?" Draco snapped, his tone harsher than intended.

Pansy didn't seem to expect the hostility either, based on the step back she took. She swallowed hard, and Draco watched her with such intensity he hoped it would intimidate her enough to back down.

"Because love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves," she finally said, and Draco couldn't help but respond with a hollow laugh.

"Do yourself a favor and cancel your _Witch Weekly_ subscription because it is making you sound utterly ridiculous," he said before brushing past her.

"Draco…"

"We're through."

He continued down the hall without a second glance, but his acute hearing could still pick up the stuttering hitch in Pansy's throat as she whispered something back to him.

"One day, you'll believe that I love you."


	3. Not So Easy After All

**Competition/Challenge Block:****  
Written for/Stacked with:** Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Term 11); Monthly Challenges for All (Year 2)**  
House/Team:** Ravenclaw (Hogwarts)  
**Role/Position**: Prefect (Hogwarts)  
**Term (Assignment):** Term 10 (Assignment 2)  
**Subject (Task):** Games Development Task 7: Alt: Write about uncovering a truth.  
**Other Hogwarts Challenges:** Romance Awareness Day 3 (Soulmate Name on Body)  
**Bingo [Space Address] (Prompt): **Summer 3D (Red)  
**Representation:** Narcissa Black; Lucius Malfoy; Soulmate!AU; Conflicting Feelings  
**Bonus Challenges:** Lyre Liar; Muck & Slime; Second Verse (Spinning Plates; Unwanted Advice; Ladylike; White Dress; Not a Lamp; Chorus (Bust a Cap; Mouth of Babes; Tomorrow's Shade; Larger Than Life)  
**Tertiary Bonus Challenges:** Obscure (HoSE); Orator; Oath (O3)

**Shipping War: **Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black (Icicles; Medium 1: First Fight)  
**Word Count: **1,843 words (per Google Docs)  
**Beta(s):** Gab

* * *

**Not So Easy After All**

Narcissa first saw her soul mark form when she was five years old. But after seeing how complicated her older sisters' own marks were on the family as they got older, her excitement became nervousness whenever she looked at the intricate lines slowly spreading across her forearm as she grew, too.

Bellatrix had developed the name Riddle on her arm, but no one knew anyone with the surname within the United Kingdom. Her mother went so far as to search the registries from three other schools in an attempt to track down the person with such a name to no avail. It was concluded that Bellatrix' soul mark wasn't a standard surname as most marks often were, but instead was some kind of nickname.

Then the Lestranges came to them looking for their son's match when he became of age. Naturally he had the name Black on his arm, which meant it was either Bellatrix or Andromeda since they were the only female Blacks that were of age—or close to it. But as far as Narcissa knew, Andromeda's mark never developed past the thin twirling lines that adorned her arm. No name ever formed within them, and such an anomaly became the talk within the community.

"Mother," Narcissa asked on the eve of her second school year, "Do you think mine will be just as cryptic as Bella's, or not develop like Andy's?"

Druella smoothed the duvet over her, tucking it under her arms before brushing her hair behind an ear. "Cissa, dear, these incidents are quite rare, and they just so happened to occur within our family. I wouldn't worry about yours."

"But why would the mark pick a nickname that not many knew? What if they're lying?"

"Nonsense. Bellatrix and Rodolphus are a fine match. The universe is never wrong with these things," Druella assured. "And don't let Andromeda discourage you from it. Sometimes it takes time for the marks to reveal a partial name."

* * *

Narcissa observed the potential suitors within her age range at Bellatrix's wedding. By now she had attended school with the majority of them, so she was curious about the families that traveled from out of the country to attend. These families were just as powerful as the Blacks, and they maintained that strong connection even though they lived in other parts of Europe. Most were known through her father and his work, but it didn't matter to Narcissa. She secretly hoped that the freshly revealed capital M written in a beautiful cursive would match one of their surnames.

After Andromeda disappeared into the night several months ago, never to return, Narcissa harbored a deep resentment toward her. Her jealousy for seeing that her sister was not bound to be with anyone gave her that freedom to slip away before their parents found an alternative like they had with Bellatrix, but she also envied her in a way. She wished she could disappear, or at the very least find a foreign suitor who could whisk her away to a distant land that knew nothing about her family's local gossip and the recent stain on their family name with Andromeda's disownment.

It must be nice to run away from one's problems with little remorse to the impact it would make on others.

This mindset put Narcissa in a foul mood, so when she sensed someone coming up from behind her, she bristled.

"It's easier to let the mark tell you rather than decode it prematurely," a familiar voice said as he approached Narcissa.

Lucius offered her a glass of red wine and scanned the room with her while sipping at his own.

Narcissa looked at him for a long moment before accepting the glass. She didn't relax her rigid posture, however "What are you saying? You don't want to know who you might be destined to be with until the mark is complete?"

He gave a slight shrug, placing the now empty glass on a passing tray an elf carried. "It's only logical. Your mark doesn't fully mature until you are of age. Why stress over it until then?"

She snorted in a very unladylike fashion at the statement. "Easy for you to say. You have had no gossip about your family and siblings having unusual experiences with their marks. If fate wishes to show our family is unfit to continue by providing cryptic marks, then at least I can have some control over it now before I get burdened with needing to puzzle out my suitor later."

"I don't think it will be as difficult as you're anticipating it will be," he stated, meeting her gaze. "He could be standing right in front of your eyes and you wouldn't truly know for sure."

Narcissa knew he was poking fun at her about her wish to observe everyone, and it irritated her to no end. He was lucky she finished her miniscule serving of wine already or it would have ended up in his face.

"Excuse me," she hissed, brushing past him with a dramatic billow of her dress.

She couldn't really explain what it was that bothered her about Lucius aside from him being completely infuriating in general, but to then go about mocking her about her soulmate in public was appalling. He was handsome, relatively kind, and highly approved by the Pureblood community, sure, but his arrogance was off-putting, and now she could add his tactless personality to the list of irritants that was Lucius Malfoy.

* * *

She didn't know what to make of the name that was now written in delicate cursive across her arm. _Malfoy._ This had to be a mistake somehow. It certainly explained the oversized bouquet of flowers she received on her birthday, and again at her graduation ceremony, and again at her parent's party they were currently throwing that evening after she got home from school.

It didn't impress her, if that was what he was hoping for, it only reminded her that he had known they were soulmates at Bellatrix's wedding two years ago the entire time and he said nothing to her. Instead he teased her for wanting to find her soulmate ahead of schedule when he in fact did the very same. That was what irritated her the most about the entire situation.

The first person Narcissa was going to seek out as soon as she was able at this celebration was Lucius. Bloody. Malfoy. She had some choice words to share with him, and she honestly wouldn't care who heard them at this point.

Bellatrix would be proud.

The standard speeches and toasts went by in a blur, she thanked her parents and excused herself to mingle with her guests once she exploited the ballroom's balcony to hone in on the blond below. Weaving through the crowd was easy when she held herself to her full petite five-foot-four height, with three-inch heels to help at least make her relatively eye-level with Lucius when she approached.

It took everything she had to not slap him or knock the wine glass clean out of his hands.

"How dare you!" she hissed, narrowing her baby blue eyes at him.

He was surprised at the strong approach Narcissa came at him with, but resisted the urge to step back to give them space. "I'm sorry?"

"You knew the entire time then, didn't you?" she prompted, gesturing to her gloved arm that concealed his last name written on it. "You knew and you teased me for it."

Lucius swallowed down his sip of wine, the twitch of his eye told her it hurt going down. Good.

"Oh."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slap you right now."

His silence had her mentally seeth even more as each second passed. Narcissa had called him out on his crap, and she knew he had no idea how to handle it or find a way out. He took in a deep breath, abandoning his glass on a tray before scanning the immediate vicinity for eavesdroppers. She almost wanted to slap him away when he suddenly leaned toward her, not able to anticipate what he was trying to do until he uttered under his breath.

"I was a young fool for behaving the way I did at your sister's wedding. I have absolutely no excuse for it, and I hope that you will accept my deepest apologies for offending you."

Narcissa crossed her arms then, reining in a scoff. "If sending me hoards of flowers is your way of trying to make up for your mistake, then you aren't trying very hard."

Lucius nodded in agreement. "You're right. It is very lazy and impersonal. I hope you liked them nonetheless."

He straightened his jade-colored tie and cleared his throat, and Narcissa wondered what else he had in store for her. "I do not want my young foolishness to define me now, so please allow me to reintroduce myself."

Lucius held out his hand to her. Narcissa looked down at it apprehensively while he made sure to focus on her. "Hello, I'm Lucius Malfoy, and you are?"

She slightly rolled her eyes at the silliness of this exercise, but decided to humor him at least and accepted his hand. "Narcissa Black. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy."

She might have over exaggerated her tone she used when saying "pleasure," but Lucius didn't comment on it.

"Please call me Lucius, Miss Black. And the pleasure's all mine." Lucius looked around at the ornate ballroom where the crowds chatter started to envelope their little world. "Your family always knows how to throw a lovely party. Mine always appreciate every invitation we receive."

Narcissa couldn't help but smile at his politeness, but it was going to take more than flattery for her to forgive him. She did feel the tension in her shoulders loosen some, and it helped the kink in her back dissipate. She didn't realize that she had been angry enough with him for it to have it take a physical toll on her.

"So what does a beautiful young lady like yourself do in your spare time?"

She looked out the window to gauge the hour. Since it was a special occasion, her schedule had been appropriately shifted around to accommodate it, but she supposed talking about it wouldn't hurt.

"I usually take a walk through the garden at this time, and then have tea in the sun room before practicing the piano."

"That sounds lovely." Lucius presented his arm to her then, and Narcissa knew it was the one that bore her last name, as it would mirror her own should she accept. "If I may accompany you, I'd like to get to know more about you and your interests in life."

Narcissa finally gave him a genuine smile and accepted his arm. He escorted her to the large French doors at the far end of the ballroom to soak up the evening sun out in the garden.

Maybe he wasn't as bad as she made him out to be after all.


End file.
